Pallet-fefding mechanism



H. W. B. GRAHAM. PALLET FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLIcATIoN FILED PatentedNov. 7 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHE?! l.

H. w. B. GRAHAM. PALLET FEEDINGMECHANISIVI. APPLICATION FILED APHLIZ,I9IB.

H. W. B. GRAHAM. PALLET FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I2, I9I8.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

IIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII III Patented Nov. 7, i922.

unireg srA'res Parent' erica.

HENRY TW. B. GRAHAM, 0F NEKT LONDON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEARNOLD-CREAGER COMPANY, OF NEW LONDON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

PALLET-FEEDING MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I. HENRY 7. B. GRA-v HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New London, in the county of Huron and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in and Relatingto Pallet-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for molding bricks, particularly tothe mecha# nism for feeding pallets to or in operative relation to thefilled molds.

The object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for feedingor delivering pallets to the filled molds or to a po sition to receivethe bricks as they are dumped therefrom.

This and other objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No.83,052, filed rllarch 9, 1916.

For the purpose of illustration l have, in the accompanying drawingsshown and herein described one form of mechanism em- 'i odying myinvention.

Fig. l. a side elevation of a brick making apparatus having a palletfeeding mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central longitudinal sectional view of theapparatus, soizzewhat enlarged.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the pallet supply and feeding device.

lP el. is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the operation of athrust member.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of parts of the pallet feeding mechanism,somewhat enlarged.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig'. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation', partly in section. i ln thedrawings, l indicates as an entirety an apparatus for making brick.The'apparatus includes a pug-mill 5 and a charging chamber T in which ismounted a press platen l5. The press platen operates to push thematerial through a die 13 into Divided and this application led April12, No. 228,080}` suitable molds 14 which are successively positioned.therebelow by a mold push-out 28.

2 indicates as an entirety the driving mechanism for the apparatus. rlhedriving mechanism 2 comprises a shaft 2, mounted in bearings 2C, 2, 2',which may be of any suitable construction. 2 indicates a pulley looselymounted on the shaft 2a, and adapted to be driven by a belt from somesuitable source of power to drive the shaft 22L through a clutch member2b.- Intermediate its ends, the shaft 2L1 carries a pinion 2d for apurpose to be later described, and at its forward end the shaft 2acarries a bevel pinion 2e, which meshes with and drives a bevel gear 2f,fixed to a transverse shaft 2g. The shaft 2g is preferably supported ator near its opposite ends in bearings provided in arms 2g of base blocks3. At one end, the shaft 2g carries a spur gear not shown and at itsopposite end it carries a bevel gear 2i. The purpose of these gears willbe latter described.

la indicates a set of connected links and rods connected at one end inany desired manner to the movable member of the clutch 2b. 4 indicates ahandle connected at the oposite or front end of the connected links androds 4ta, by means of which an operative is enabled to start and stopthe apparatus .from its front end.

6 indicates the pug-mill shaft which extends through the chargingchamber 7 and pug-mill 5. At its rear end the shaft G carries a gear 6awhich meshes 'with the pinion 2d, whereby said gear and shaft arerotated. A

16 indicates as an entirety the mechanism for reciprocating thepress-platen. Of this mechanism, 162L indicates a crank fixed to thefront end of the pug-mill shaft 6. 16b indicates a pitman connected atits lower end through a wrist pin 17 with the crank 16al and at itsupper end pivotally connected tl rough a block 18 to a` projection orshaft l9 ofiY a reciprocating member or plunger not shown. 19h indicatesguides provided on the front of the charging chamber 7 for the plunger.

As the pitman, adjustable connections therefor, the safety connectionsand operating means for the latter, disclosed herein, form no part ofthe present invention,

but are covered in a companion case, Ser. No. 228,641.11-, they will notbe further described herein. 2O indicates a cross bar or yoke that maybe connected to the .reciproeating member by an inwardlyprojecting shaftor rod 2011. 21 indicates one.y or more rods connecting the cross bar 2Owith the press-platen 15.

21V indicates a receiver onto` which the empty molds are successivelydelivered or positioned ready to be moved forward to the. mold-filling.station-, as will .be later. set forth. y

22 indicates a base orplatforrn the-rear portion ofwhich is arrangedbelowthe. die 1t` serves to` support the. moldsA 14 as they` are movedto or below the die 13,k

then to a bumping mechanism, indicated as an entirety at 24, and finallyto anun` verting mechanism indicated asan entirety..

As shown.J the receiver 21.is spaced from the rear end of the base 22 toprovide a passageway 26 through which the. empty molds 14 aresuccessively passed and delivered to the receiver 21. The passageway 2Gis normally closed by a gate preferably comprising two spaced arms 27(only one'being shown) fixed to a shaft 27a which is loosely mounted inlugs 27D extending rearwardly from the base section 22C. Each arm 27carries 1afoot 27c to engage with the. rear wall of the base section 22cand limit the downward movement of the arms 27. T he gate arms 27arearranged to. be swung upwardly by a `moving mold 14 (see Fig. 2),whereby the. latter may pass through the passageway 26.

The reciprocatingfeeder or mold pushout 23serves to` successively movethe molds 14 fromthe mold receiving station 21 to the filling positionimmediately below the die 13, The feeder 23 may consist of ahorizontally arranged plate extending across the space between theopposite inner walls of the `frame, members 14 and slidably supporte edthereon by means of suitable guides.

These guides serve to guide the push-out longitudinally in a .horizontalplane. substantially coincident with the plane of the molds, whereby itmay engage therewith and move them forwardly and relative to the die andthento the bumpers 24 and the invertingv mechanism25. The pushout 23 isoperated by mechanism indicated at 29;

one of the. driving elements of which consists of thebevel gear 2falready referred to. For a detailed descriptionI of this operatingImechanism reference may be made to my aforesaid original application.For the purpose. of co-operation, thereceiver 21 is arranged to receiveand support a mold 14 as the pushout is moving rearwardly .but after ithas passed. the receiver 21. As the said pushout moves forward, it willengage "to, deliver them first to a position where they may be operatedupon by the bumping 'i o mechanism 24 and then to the inverting anddumping mechanismv 25 arranged at the front end of the base 22, as willbe` later set forth. y

Thebumping devices 24 are arranged between the die 13 and the invertingmechanism 25 toV free or loosen the bricks from the mold` walls readyfor the dumping operation. The bumping devices 24 prefera bly operate tobump each mold while it is on the section 22d of the support or base 22.The. bumping devices are operated by means, indicated as an entirety at36 and these. means are operated through a shaft 36a.

The preferredform of mold invertingmechanism 25 includes a rotatablecarrier 25 adapted to be moved step by step about its axis. The carrier25 is provided with a` series of spaced pockets 25a, one of which isarranged to receive, during each period of restof thev carrier, a mold14-which has been filled with material at the filling station. orposition and moved over the base or platform 22 by the pusher 23.1

39 indicates as an entirety mechanism for supplying and delivering apallet, indicated at 14', to each pocket 25a of the carrier 25 for thepurpose of placing a pallet 14 in position to receive the briclrs asthey are 105 dumped from a mold 14. The pallet supplying and deliveringmechanism 39 is preferably arranged to deliver a pallet 14 to eachpocket 25a substantially simultaneously with the delivery of a mold 14thereto. IO

0f the pallet supplying and delivering mechanism, 39 indicates a box orreceptacle into which the pallets 14 are piled in superposed order. Thereceptacle 39 is preferably supported at its opposite ends on a pair l l5 of frame members 39 slightly rearward of the carrier 25. The framemembers 39 rest upon the sills 11.

The receptacle 39L may be provided with a bottom 39h and side walls 39C.39d indicates supplemental izo end walls adjustably mounted in any wellknown manner on the bottom 39b and arranged to properly position thepallets 14 betweenthe opposite ends ofthe receptacle. The lower edge ofthe front side wall ofthe receptacle 392L is cut away to form between itand the bottom 391 a slot through which the lowermost pallet 14 isdeliveredby athrust member or members 89f; also, the bottom 39h and rearside wall 39 are cut 130 i ,cascos shown at 39V, to fori/n: ways, L liwhich the thrust members 359i move. The slot 39C along` the front of thereceptacle 3 a is of asize to permit onlyone pal- ."-f 1i: pass throughit at a time. By this traction.y the front frail of the B91" serres asan abutment for the pal.- f above the lowermost one While the latisbeing` fed forwardly. rlhe free ends the members 3S are preferablybifur- Lfated to insure positive engagement With the rear edge of eachpallet 14. y

nThe thrust members 539i are preferably connected to and moved forwardlyand rear# r-.iurdlf' y a horizontally movable frame 43 wh ich :in turnmay be connected7 preferably bj.' differential gearing' del, (llig. 2)to and operated by the pusher or feeder 23. The movable frame 4B maycomprise a pair of each arranged at one side of the Anratus undsupported in a box 4er-5b which formed with guide Ways to slidably suplt the adjacent rod el@ llach box 43h is preferably bolted to theadjacent side plate .ie charging chamber C7. At their front ls 43"* areconnected together transverse bar i3d from which depend mtl pair ofspaced arms #i2-f {rig-s. il l Lach of the thrust members 39f may beerrer end of an acent arm 492 as shown JA I ,iretv mechanism for (lfthis mechanism racks provided `rc- .l indicates as a .c

fl" indicate pairs o ,lv on the pusher 23 and inwar Walls l"X on theside plates lc. and j leach interposed between and meshing; with a pairof racks l/ll. llh. The gears lele are mounted on a transverse shaft die'.rhich entends through slots formed in plates le and l?.`A s bearing`at its opposite ends rods 42a. llllhen the in the rear ends tl pushermoved forwardly and Wardlj-g. it will cause the gears l-l 'to rollforwardly and rearwardly; and the gears iu turn will move the roos 413@forwardly and rearwardly, but oivinu; to the co-operation andengapyeu'ient of the elli with the racks carried respectively by thepusher side plates lex. the distance of travel ofthe rods n will be lessn tby of the pusher This form of cons tion permits nie incl'ned orcamuied front and rear Walls.

.the operai; device Llob is pirotally mounta sha mounted in the sidewalls l() lined to the rear Wall 39@ of tl e *ccep'tacle 39a. The bottomplate ll or llo is preferably disposed in a plane below the b ttc-ni 391and serves to thrust members 39E rearwardly and rwardlyn except whenelevated into eurent with a pallet lele. The foot 45 of .he operatingdevice ll is arranged in the path of moi/'ement of the laterallyextending` einher i592 ln the .forward movement of the thru member orfeeder 239i the meniber 45a will therefore the foot 45C and ride up therear inclined Wall thereof. as shown in dotted lines in Fie'. 5, thuselevat- Y the thrust ineinber 39f about its pivot rio position to enrale'e the rear edge ofthe vermost pallet le. the rearwardmove- .t ofthe thrust member 8% the lateralljf extending member l5?- vvill engagethe front inclined Wall of the foot a5@ and cause the opera iup; memberto swing upwardly, as shown in Fig. 8; as a result of this opera tioirthe foot lic Will be moved out of the path of the member a. Thelaterally extending' :member 45a is preferably provided with front andrear inclined walls for en c"wenient with the foot 45C. 45C indicates a(er. preferably coiled about the shaft ll; one end of the springT isfixed to the box 46a and its opposite end is connected to the opniemberlb for the purpose of yield inqly maintaining the latter against thebottom 4Gb.

il? indicates one or more devices arranged on the bottom 39h near therear side of the receptacle 39a and adapted to support the rear edges ofthe pallets ll above the bottom 39h. as shown in Filis. 3 i and 5, -lpfindicates a pusher lined in any wel l lrnovvn manner to each feeder 39f.Each p he.V 27a has an inclined Wall 7b and an abutment li-C. rlhepusher 47a is so positioned on t ie feeder 39 that in the forwardmovement of the latter, to feed a pallet lll to pocket in the carrier.it will engage the lower-most pallet lll yand push it beyond the frontends of the supporting devices 47, Where will drop `onto the bottoni 39hin 'position to be actuated'by the thrust members 395 rllhe pusher /ll'anot only serves to partially feed the loivermost pallet le forHwardljg.v but serves also to separate from the pallets above it in orderthat the feeders Slf will engage butone pallet at a time. The abutments47C are of less height than the thickness of a pallet so that but one ofthe latter will be engaged. In the forward movement` of the feeder 392the inclined wall 47' moves underneath and1 engages the pallets whichride up the inclined wall. By this operation the lowermost pallet iselevated into position to be engaged by the abutment 47C. from theforegoing description it will be seen that the supports 47 and pushers4'? co-operate to effect a partial feeding and the separation of thelowermost pallet 14 from ie pile of pallets in the boi; 39- to insurethe delivery by the feeders 39 of but one pallet 14 in each forwardmovement.

The carrier 25 may comprise a pair of spaced annular members 25bconnected to a shaft 2"' The shaft is supported at its i3 opposite endsin bearings in the frame mem bers 39. The mold receiving pockets 25L areuniformly spaced around the shaft 25 and supported by' and between themembers 25h, each pocket 25L beingpreferably ai@ ranged substantiallydiametrically opposite one of the other pockets 25a on the carrier. Eachpocket 25a preferably comprises pairs of opposing plates 25d, 25d, and25e, 25e. between which are delivered a mold 14 and a pallet 14, thelatter by the pallet delivery devices 39f. The plates 25d, 5d, aresecured to a transverse rod 25N; the plates 25e, 25, are secured to atransverse rod 25e; and the opposite ends of said rods 25(1, 256, eX-tend through elongated aligned openings 25 in the side plates of theannular' members 251D where they are connect-ed to suitable slide blockswhich support and control their movements.

From Fig. 8 it will be noted that each mold 14 is delivered to a pocket25a with a pallet 14 on top thereof and when the carrier 25 is rotated ao -e half turn about its airis, the mold 14 is inverted so that thebricks will fall onto the pallet 14', as shown in dotted lines in Fig.8. Thereafter the mold and pallet lwith'the dumped bricks thereon may beseparated and the latter movedonto the conveyor 51, as set forth in myoriginal application Ser. No..

The carrier25 is rotated step by step by any suitable power transmittingdevices, such, for example, as indicated as an en` tirety at 40, toprovide intervals of rest during which molds 14 and pallets 14 aredelivered to thel pockets 25a successively andk the pallets dischargedsuccessively therefrom.

Starting .with a mold 14 which has been delivered to the receiver 21, asshown in Fig. 2, from, this position the mold is pushed forward by thepush-out 23 over the gate 27 to ya predetermined position 0n the base 22in registryl with the diev13. 1When the mold is in this position, thepresseplaten moves downwardly andiforce's the material into the mold.rlhe press-platen then returns upwardly. In the meantime, themoldpush-out 2S has returned to its rear position ready to move anothermold forward. ln the next forward movement of the mold push-out thesucceeding mold 14, which has been moved up through the gap 26 and'positioned on the receiver, is moved forwardly to thepredeterminedposition for filling and it in turn engages with and moves the firstmold forwardly along" the platform 22. This operation is repeated, sothat each time a mold is pushed forwardly to thefilling position, themolds in front thereof' are moved forwardly over the platform'or support22 to the inverting mechanism 25. is the molds come to a position ofrest in line with the bumping1 mechanism 24 they are bumped therebysidewise or'transversely of the support, the effect of which is to causethe bricks to become loosened from the walls of the mold. As theforwardmost mold on the support 22 is moved onto the carrier 25, thepallet de*y livery mechanism 39 operates substantially1 simultaneouslyto 'move a pallet 14 with the mold onto the carrier 25. After the moldand pallet have been delivered to the carrier 25, the drivingmechanismtherefor rotates the carrier one step to bring the succeeding pocket 25ainto position to receive the succeeding mold and pallet, this operationbeing repeated each time a pocket 25;L arrives at the receivingposition. As each pocket passes the vertical and commences to descend inits movement with the carrier, the bricls'in the mold 14 carried by thepocket are dumped onto the pallet 14', the weight of which causes thepocket members to move away from'each other to separate the mold fromthe bricks. This operation is completely effected as the pocket arrivesat the discharge position. When the ycarrier 25 reaches this position.vthe mold push-out, acting through themold'sy on the support 22, movesthe then forward` most mold 14 onto the carrier, as liust 'described,which mold in turn through the pallet discharge devices engages with thepallet carrying the dumped bricks at the discharge position and moves itonto the discharge device 51. ils theE carrier again rotates to bringthe pocket, from which the dumped bricks havejust been removed, to thereceiving position, the empty mold slides outwardly andl downwardly asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The pallet feeding mechanism is preferably arranged above and in thesame vertical plane as the mold support, and the molds are preferablymoved in a substanllt) tially horizontal plane b): the mechanism whichmoves the molds forwardly. This results in providing a relatively simpleform of c mstruetion- .ilgaim the construction is further simplified byarranging the pallet feeding mechanism between the charging chamberframe and the inverting mechanism 25.

To those skilled in the art of making ap paratus of the class described.many alterations in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of my invention will suggest themselves, withoutr departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and the descriptionhere n are purely illustrative, and are not intend ed to be in any senselimiting.

`What I claim is:

l. The combination of a support adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member normally disposed in a plane below the lowermost pallet onsaid support, but arranged to be elevated to engage and feed forward thelowermost pallet, means for moving said thrust member forwardl);7 andrearwardly, and means for elevating said thrust member while movingforwardly, said elevating` means including a pivoted member which isswung by said thrust member out of its path of movement rearwardly.

2. The combination of a support adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member normally disposed in a plane below the lowermost pallet onsaid support, but arranged to be elevated to engage and feed forward thelowermost pallet, means for moving said thrust member forwardly andrearwardly, means for elevating said thrust member while movingforwardly, and means for feeding forwardly and positioning the nextsucceeding pallet ready to be engaged by said thrust member in its nextforward movement.`

3. The combination of a support adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member normally disposed in a plane below the lowermost pallet onsaid support, but arranged to be elevated to engage and feed forward thelowermost pallet. means for moving said thrust member forwardly andrearwardly, means for elevating said thrust member while movingforwardly, and means .for feeding forwardly and positioning the nextsucceeding pallet during the forward movement of said thrust memberready to be engaged thereby in its next forward movement.

4. The combination of a support adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member normally disposed in a plane below the lowermost pallet onsaid support, but arranged to be elevated to engage and feed forward thelowermost pallet, means for moving said thrust member forwardly andrearwardly, mea-ns for elevating said thrust member wl'iile movingforwardly, and means carried by said thrust member for feeding forwardlyand positioning` the next succeeding pallet during the forward movementof said thrust member ready to be engaged thereby in its next forwardmovement.

5. ln apparatus of the class def-,m ibed, Athe combination of .a supportfor pallets, a tl'irust member movable forvf'ardly and rearwardly belowsaid support, co-operatn levices arranged to permit mov Anent of said ly be r s; pallets but to iut to elevate it into engagement with the y:

lowermost pallet as said member moves forwardly, said devices comprisinga lug` on said thrust member .and element pivotod to said support, andmeans for moving` said thrust member forwardly and rearwardly.

7. The combination of a holder adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member for moving the lowermost pallet forwardly, meanscomprising an incline on which the pallets ride and an abutment at theupper end of said incline arranged to engage the next succeeding palletfor positioning it ready for engagement by said thrust member, means foroperating said thrust member, and means for elevating said thrust memberwhile it moves forwardly.

8. The combination of holder adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member for moving the lowermost pallet forwardly. meanscomprising an incline on which the pallets ride and an abutment arrangedto engage the next succeeding pallet for positioning it ready forengagement by said thrust member, said abutment being of less heightthan the thickness of a pallet, means for operating said thrust member,and means for elevating said thrust member while it moves forwardly.

9. The combination of a holder adapted to hold one or more pallets, athrust member for moving the lowermost pallet forwardly, meanscomprising an incline on which the pallets ride and an abutment carriedby said thrust member and arranged to engage the next succeeding palletfor positioning it ready for engagement by said thrust member, means foroperating said thrust member. and means for elevating said thrust memberwhile it moves forwardly.

l0. The combination. of a pallet holder comprising a bottom and a frontwall Jtermed with an opening adjacent thereto, oit a reeiprocable thrustmember arranged in a plane below the upper surface of said bottom, apair of engaging members, one can ried by said thrust member and theother being swingably supported7 for elevating the front end of saidthrust member into position to engage and feed iorward through theopening` the lowermost pallet, the swingably supported member beingmovable laterally by the other member out or its path during the returnof said thrust member. and means for reciprocating said thrust member.

ll, In apparatus ot the character described. the combination ot a palletholder. a reciprocating element. a thrust member pivoted to and movedforwardly and rearwardly by said reciprocating element, and a pair or"devices carried by said `member and arranged to feed forward thelowerinost pallet and next adjacent pallet at each torward movement ofsaid member.

l2. In apparatus of the character described.) the combination ot apallet holder.y a reciprocating element, a thrust member -pivoted to andmoved forwardly and rearwardly by said reciprocating element, and a pairof devices carried by said member and arranged to feed forward thelowermost pallet and next adjacent pallet at each torward movement ofsaid member. and means 'for elevating the front end of said member as itmoves forwardly.

13. ln apparatusvol: the class described, the combination of a supportfor a pile of pallets. devices simultaneously operating to feed thelowermost pallet Ytomif'ardly and to move the next adjacent intoposition 40 ready to be fed forwardly. and means for elevating thedevice which reeds the pallet forwardly into engagement therewith afterit passes the rear edge et the pallet pile.

lll. ln brick making machine. the com'- bination @if holder on whichpallets are supported in a pile or stack. and means ifor successivelyfeedingthe pallets into operative relationship with briclr molds. saidmeans comprising a device for moving each pallet into feeding positionwith its rear edge forward of the rear edge oi the pallet pile, aseparate device tor 'feeding each positioned pallet forwardly, and meansoperating after said separate device has passed the rear edge of thepallet pile to elevate it into engagement with each positioned pallet.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name.

HENRY TW. B. G'RriHAM.

